Interview

Brian Sherwin interviews Janet Evanovich about how she naturally segued from art to writing, her difficulties getting published, her characters Stephanie Plum and Diesel, and how her books have created a family business.

First published Oct 31, 2010 at briansherwin-artcritic.blogspot.com

Janet Evanovich is a New York Times best-selling author. Evanovich began her career by writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall. However, she is best known for authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring the character Stephanie Plum - a woman who becomes a bounty hunter after losing her job as a lingerie buyer.

The Stephanie Plum series has been on-going since 1994. The series, a mix of romance, mystery, adventure and humor have become widely popular in recent years. A film adaptation of Evanovich's first book in the Stephanie Plum series, titled One for the Money, is currently in production.

(The following interview with Janet Evanovich was conducted with the assistance of Tonya Hoots.)

Brian Sherwin: Janet, I understand that when you attended college you majored in fine arts-- further research revealed that your focus was on painting. Do you still paint? Also, would you say that your studies in art helped to set your direction as a writer-- in the sense that creating visual art can be considered a form of story-telling unto itself?

Janet Evanovich: I'm so busy writing and editing...